Comment by GrowingSideways
1 month ago
What do you mean by "objectively"? This smells like pinker-esque spinelesness. Like a "you can buy a smartphone if you ignore the world is dying" tone.
Yes, you can buy a smartphone. But most of what makes us care for each other has died. Why not kill yourself today, Sisyphus? There are fewer reasons than ever.
Because my life does not run on envy. It does not bother me that Elon is $100B richer when global outcomes have improved dramatically as well. Comparison is the thief of joy.
As long as conditions are materially improving, we are doing well. It is up to people to maintain a psychological outlook commensurate with their incredible quality of life gains. If they don't manage to do that, that is a personal failure caused by envy, not an inherent structural problem with wealth inequality.